Wet Season Riding

[ADV]

Quick reminder (to self).

Never put off a ride because of localised rain conditions.

Its not cold rain.

And the rain is often in bands with totally dry roads followed by wet roads followed by totally dry roads.

I thought about this as I rode through the mountains and noticed the roads had more wet dry banding than a zebra has stripes.

Awesome.

 

[Tremm]

And the rain is often in bands with totally dry roads followed by wet roads followed by totally dry roads.

I thought about this as I rode through the mountains and noticed the roads had more wet dry banding than a zebra has stripes.

Yep. And that is the reason I switched from mesh gear to waterproof gear, which I now use for seasons with a high chance of rain. In the mountains, the weather can change around every single corner. I got completely tired of putting on and taking off (and on, and off) my rain gear.

But I have to say, rain can be cold. Maybe not the rain itself, but the temperature you feel when you are soaking wet. In February 2025, during what was supposed to be the dry season, I was riding in mesh gear and got caught in a downpour on Route 1083 at a low point near the river. And the shortest way home was through Doi Samer Dao. Man, it was cold! I was on a naked bike without a windshield and felt like I was freezing cold every time my speed went over 45 km/h. As soon as I got back to the hotel that same night, I came down with a fever, probably due to hypothermia.